I worked for a year in an art gallery while I was in design school. The hours were great – 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday – and I got to hang around cool people and look at art all day.

We sold pieces by lesser-known but up-and-coming artists, as well as stuff from greats like Ruscha, Rauschenberg and Rothko. Learning the ins and outs of the LA art scene was fun, especially since I’m a sucker for a starving artist and LA has more than its share.

Art collecting is a hobby for some, a necessity for others. It requires a serious cash flow, but starting small (and when you’re young) and building slowly is the way to go. My only regret is not starting sooner.

But the art scene can be intimidating – an incestuous pool of who knows who and why and how much. So if you don’t know the right people or the relevant questions, shopping for art might prove to be an overwhelming pursuit.

But don’t hang up your collecting shoes so fast. There’s a new kid in town and its name is Art.sy. That’s right – without the .com or .net. Just Art.sy.

It is being pegged as Pandora for fine art, which makes sense since Joe Kennedy, the CEO of Pandora and the Music Genome Project, is involved. Kennedy, along with a computer science engineer from Princeton and a former Christie’s executive, are three of the geniuses behind Art.sy.

They created the Art Genome Project, “an ongoing study of the characteristics that distinguish and connect original works of art” which will work in tandem with search technology that collects your preferences. The goal is helping you discover art that speaks to your taste.

The Art.sy database will include art currently for sale in the hottest galleries, as well as art on display in museums and private collections. It works in three ways – “discover, learn, connect”. You can discover new art, learn more about it and the artist, and finally be connected or introduced to galleries where you can purchase the art, if that’s your goal.

The entire process is streamlined, simplified and confined to the privacy of your own computer. That is, until (and if) you want to buy something, when it’s crucial to see a piece of art in person.

It’s the ideal way to introduce fine art to the masses. Kind of like an art encyclopedia (if you remember that far back). I wish it existed when I was taking Art History in graduate school.

Art.sy is currently accepting requests for an invitation (You don’t need an invitation code, just name and email). I eagerly await its launch, expected this March.

Image: See-ming Lee

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I’m a down to business, cut through the clutter, don’t beat around the bush type of gal. So when it comes to the home and “collecting” I agree with Mies (van der Rohe, that is) that ‘Less is More’.

That is unless we’re talking art.

Collecting art is not an elitist activity, nor is it frivolous and petty. The need to beautify our sacred spaces is innate, going back to cave drawings and chinoiserie.

The well-known Pollacks and Warhols, Rembrandts and Renoirs are lovely to look at, but surrounding ourselves with expensive art isn’t the only option.

Many contemporary artists work with found objects and recycled and local materials. They’re conscious of inks and waste and number of reproductions. And some of them are actually good.

Although art is a very personal thing and your tastes will differ from mine, I’ve selected a few of my favorites for your perusal. Go ahead – discover, explore, find inspiration and start your own collection.

Italian artist Fabio Zanino (image above) takes old road signs, breaks them apart and reconstructs them into visually interesting, graphically pleasing. His work is rough around the edges with a twist of hip and cool. (via Junkculture).

Another favorite, but expressing a completely different attitude is Alyson Fox (image above). She “makes things from paper, fabric, books, ceramics, thread, wallpaper, office supplies, photographs, old tattered things, new polished things, furniture, and cement.” (via Little Paper Planes). Lovely, petite, precious, precise and especially emotionally charged.

Marlo Pascual (top image and images above) is another talent who works with existing items. But she takes the typical and adds the odd or random – a rock, pushpin, plant or candle. She rolls on the side of strange and probably isn’t for everyone, but you must admit she’s clever, witty and resourceful. Her work just does something to me. (via The Jealous Curator).

Last, but hardly least, is South Korean designer Soojin Kang (image above). Gotta love a girl who wears her conscience on her creative sleeve. Here she expresses the inspiration behind her Patched Chair:

I believe that the lack of consciousness with which people easily throw their objects away will increase in the future even more. It is important now therefore that we need to consider our basic needs and what we already possess, and to use these materials wisely and beautifully. (via Dezeen).

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I was visiting a friend up in Portland, and I noticed he was collecting rainwater for his garden. Why hadn’t I thought of this?! He was using beautiful old wine barrels that enhanced the yard with their presence, and he had the full set-up gathering water from drainage pipes off his house and a spigot near the bottom of the barrel for utilizing. Genius!

It turns out this is a relatively common practice. I did some research and found numerous types available online for purchase, such as these from Green Goat Rain Barrels. Ready-mades aren’t bad if you’re not up for the complete DIY experience, aka – find an old wine barrel up in wine country, hit the hardware store, drill hole, insert spigot, buy piping, drill another hole, etc., you get the idea. Although that could be part of the fun, if you’re the right type of person. Which hopefully you are. Because that would be quite cool.

All this is well and good, but I’m not sure I need such a fancy set up. Unfortunately, a large water barrel would take up most of the space on my small, urban deck. Still, not wanting to be wasteful, I wonder how I could re-use water. How about saving the water I use after washing lettuce or kale and taking it straight out to the garden to water the plants? Perfect!

If you do have space, here’s more information on how to set up your own rain barrel system.

Image: Aaron’s Oak Whiskey Rain Barrels

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The nation’s retailers will tell you his message of change seems to make good cents. Americans are commemorating Barack Obama’s inauguration the American way, buying up feel-good items with the new leader’s image and slogans to show support.

The supply of Obama buttons, ball caps and Victory Plates peddled online and in city streets is barely meeting the demand, giving a boost to vendors who suffered a dreary holiday retail season.

One Washington lawyer who bought a T-shirt from the Presidential Inaugural Committee store told the New York Times, “America is excited about Obama so this all makes sense because when Americans want to express their excitement, they turn to merchandising.” Spotting $70 tote bags by Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch, the lawyer wondered if it could all be part of the stimulus program.

None of it appears to be organic, recycled or whittled from responsibly-planted forests, but from what I can tell, stuff sold at official sites like Store Barak Obama appears to be made in the USA, which I suppose is a start. We greenies can turn to sites like Say It Green to customize our own presidential products.

The upside to collecting the genuine political buttons, stamps and other memorabilia is an investment in the future. They could be worth a great deal some day as vintage memorabilia. And of course, they can be quite meaningful to Americans witnessing a day when we have, indeed, overcome so many biases and obstacles of the past.

If you are looking to buy into the message, you don’t have to travel far. The QVC television shopping network has already sold 100,000 items related to the election according to Dallas News. QVC sees today as a chance to hit a wider consumer audience – and will broadcast live from Washington to push pocket watches and other souvenirs. The host will not just display a flawless French manicure but also dress for success…in a ball gown.

I don’t think I will be whipping out my credit card. I am, however, reading Dreams of my Father, my book group’s current selection, to understand more about the struggles and successes that have shaped the 44th president. I can’t wear it or wave it or drink coffee from it, but in my mind, it’s a $15 well spent.

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